[ Sturmhond watches her carefully. The runes help her. They’re an advantage that no one else has, and she’s essentially talking about limiting herself.
He shakes his head. ]
Then you apply them when you can. You don’t leave your rover without your stele. You’re a Shadowhunter, Clary. You’re not human, and you should use that to the fullest extent that you can.
That said, I’ll teach you to fight without them. You’re right to be prepared.
[ Nobody had ever really told her to embrace her Shadowhunter-y-ness before Sturmhond. That's probably because all the rest of them want her to go back to her Mundane life and leave them to it. But he makes her look at it like she has every right, like she needs it. And it's true, she does. ]
See, I'm learning. [ She rocks forward on her toes. He's distracted with teaching her to be prepared though, which is when she strikes.
[ She's also much better on her feet nowadays. Of course she still falls, but usually that's when she's concentrating too much on not falling. Sturmhond helps get her in the zone. ]
You only don't care about them because they go silver eventually. [ She's glad she found the Morgenstern sword again. While it should really make her skin crawl, it feels like it's made for her. It shows when she uses it to fight. ]
[ She's improved w lot since he first started teaching her. It's notable, how much better her footwork is and how seamless her movements. His corrections are far less frequent, and it's easier to get into the rhythm of a spar. ]
Keep your arms in. Now that you mention it, I always wondered why you didn't make them more colourful. Magical runic tattoos, and you still only manage them in black, What about introducing some colour? Teal, for example. Or red. It would match your hair.
[ Meanwhile, hew switches tactics, swinging his sword down to hook towards her legs. ]
[ It's obvious when she takes his warning into consideration, tucking her arms in better to meet the twitch of his blade. ]
I may be different to the rest of them but I don't think I can change the colour of the runes. [ His swing towards her legs would have caught her before but she jumps back, her own sword going for his chest. ]
Maybe when the shopping channel's open you can ask for coloured protective gear?
[ His sword flashes around as he brings it to meet hers. He smiles as he deflects the blow, and tips his head to her. In the early days, she’d have fallen after that swing. She’s getting good. ]
Are you implying I need protection?
[ Because don’t be so rude, Fray. ]
Of the two of us, I’m not the one who needs more colour.
[ She pauses to look at him, a smile tugging at her lips as she drags her gaze down then back up. ]
I don't know. You could use a little more flamboyancy I think. Why not go the whole hog and wear fairy lights around your belt? [ They'd have to be teal. Maybe she can get some and then string them up around his room. ] I feel like you're just not obvious enough.
[ The blow jars her arm a little and she grimaces, the sound of her blade sharp and loud as she parries his. ]
Look, I'm just saying that teal is a pretty bright colour. [ He manages to catch her with the flat of his blade and she huffs out irritated before moving back and aiming for his swordless side. ] You'd be the first person I'd see if I wanted to attack.
When you are confident of winning there is no need to hide. [ He brings the edge of his blade against the flat of hers, sending a jarring vibration along the metal. Then it’s one jab after another, a slice and a cut and another slice, the movements getting faster all along. ]
And when you stand out of reach, it doesn’t matter what you wear. I’m fond of both philosophies.
[ His movements are impressive. She's clearly having a hard time keeping up. Because all of the strengthening runes in the world, all of the foresight and speed and agility still has to work with Clary's brain. She's trained, but not her whole life.
And so she hisses when he catches her shoulder, knowing that without an iratze she'd have a bruise or worse there tomorrow. ] You sound so fancy.
[ Clary hadn't believed him when he talked about being a prince. But he sure sounds like one.
She'll think about that later, grabbing her sword with both hands and swinging low - aiming for his knees this time - concentration all over her face. ]
[ He laughs. She still doesn't believe him. The best lies are the ones that people will still believe, even when you tell them the truth.
Should he be upset that the lie seems to sit more easily with one of his friends? Perhaps, but he's not. He's just pleased that the mask provided such a good cover.
He clips her, though, and he frowns at that. It's enough to make him stumble back as she aims for his knees, and then he nods at her. He's impressed; she's fighting through the pain now. But he holds a hand up, halting proceedings and lowering his sword. ]
[ Her sword dangles loosely in her hand before she lets it drop, reaching to pull at her sleeve. It's torn and through it she can see the first welling of blood but it doesn't bother her. ]
I know you wanted me to buy a new wardrobe but stabbing my clothes isn't the way to do it. [ Her stele is pulled free from her pocket and Clary eases back the fabric at her collarbone to join the lines of her rune back together. It flares with light for a moment before all that's left to remind them is the red edged rip in her shirt. ]
[ Sturmhond watches the rune do its work, and then nods. His foot kicks up the blade from where she dropped it; he catches it with his left hand, and holds it back out to her. ]
Better safe than sorry. That’s the problem with training in steel.
[ A pause. ]
But you didn’t flinch. You’re much better at this. You’d not have let me away with that at first.
[ She takes the sword and then shrugs, a smile already at the corners of her mouth. ]
I have a good teacher. [ Which maybe she doesn't tell him enough, considering. Clary likes annoying him, it's part of their friendship and she figures neither of them are all that comfortable with sincerity especially when it's of the emotional kind. But he's had one hell of a day and maybe she'd like to tell him just once. ]
Can't let my enemies think they've got to me, right? So no flinching.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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He shakes his head. ]
Then you apply them when you can. You don’t leave your rover without your stele. You’re a Shadowhunter, Clary. You’re not human, and you should use that to the fullest extent that you can.
That said, I’ll teach you to fight without them. You’re right to be prepared.
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See, I'm learning. [ She rocks forward on her toes. He's distracted with teaching her to be prepared though, which is when she strikes.
They were sword fighting, weren't they? ]
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He doesn't show it. Instead, he lifts an eyebrow, and picks up his own pace as he fights back. ]
Was it something I said? I don't like you any less without tattoos, you know.
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You only don't care about them because they go silver eventually. [ She's glad she found the Morgenstern sword again. While it should really make her skin crawl, it feels like it's made for her. It shows when she uses it to fight. ]
Everything else and you bitch about it.
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Keep your arms in. Now that you mention it, I always wondered why you didn't make them more colourful. Magical runic tattoos, and you still only manage them in black, What about introducing some colour? Teal, for example. Or red. It would match your hair.
[ Meanwhile, hew switches tactics, swinging his sword down to hook towards her legs. ]
no subject
I may be different to the rest of them but I don't think I can change the colour of the runes. [ His swing towards her legs would have caught her before but she jumps back, her own sword going for his chest. ]
Maybe when the shopping channel's open you can ask for coloured protective gear?
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Are you implying I need protection?
[ Because don’t be so rude, Fray. ]
Of the two of us, I’m not the one who needs more colour.
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I don't know. You could use a little more flamboyancy I think. Why not go the whole hog and wear fairy lights around your belt? [ They'd have to be teal. Maybe she can get some and then string them up around his room. ] I feel like you're just not obvious enough.
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Obvious? I'm anything but. Just because I have a proper appreciation for colour and style...
[ He comes at her a little stronger while they talk. If you're going to banter, you'd better prove you can still handle yourself while you do it. ]
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Look, I'm just saying that teal is a pretty bright colour. [ He manages to catch her with the flat of his blade and she huffs out irritated before moving back and aiming for his swordless side. ] You'd be the first person I'd see if I wanted to attack.
no subject
When you are confident of winning there is no need to hide. [ He brings the edge of his blade against the flat of hers, sending a jarring vibration along the metal. Then it’s one jab after another, a slice and a cut and another slice, the movements getting faster all along. ]
And when you stand out of reach, it doesn’t matter what you wear. I’m fond of both philosophies.
no subject
And so she hisses when he catches her shoulder, knowing that without an iratze she'd have a bruise or worse there tomorrow. ] You sound so fancy.
[ Clary hadn't believed him when he talked about being a prince. But he sure sounds like one.
She'll think about that later, grabbing her sword with both hands and swinging low - aiming for his knees this time - concentration all over her face. ]
no subject
Should he be upset that the lie seems to sit more easily with one of his friends? Perhaps, but he's not. He's just pleased that the mask provided such a good cover.
He clips her, though, and he frowns at that. It's enough to make him stumble back as she aims for his knees, and then he nods at her. He's impressed; she's fighting through the pain now. But he holds a hand up, halting proceedings and lowering his sword. ]
Wait. We can take a break.
Your shoulder, is it all right?
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I know you wanted me to buy a new wardrobe but stabbing my clothes isn't the way to do it. [ Her stele is pulled free from her pocket and Clary eases back the fabric at her collarbone to join the lines of her rune back together. It flares with light for a moment before all that's left to remind them is the red edged rip in her shirt. ]
All better.
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Better safe than sorry. That’s the problem with training in steel.
[ A pause. ]
But you didn’t flinch. You’re much better at this. You’d not have let me away with that at first.
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I have a good teacher. [ Which maybe she doesn't tell him enough, considering. Clary likes annoying him, it's part of their friendship and she figures neither of them are all that comfortable with sincerity especially when it's of the emotional kind. But he's had one hell of a day and maybe she'd like to tell him just once. ]
Can't let my enemies think they've got to me, right? So no flinching.